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Russia is planning possible attacks on critical infrastructure in the Baltic states or Poland, the presidents of Lithuania and Latvia warned Wednesday, citing intelligence reports.
"We are talking about energy and transport infrastructure—facilities where damage could ... disrupt the functioning of the entire energy system," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said at a joint press conference in Vilnius with Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics.
"This planning is taking place at the highest level, effectively in Moscow," he added.
Nauseda said Lithuanian intelligence had received indications that Russia was planning limited "kinetic" operations targeting critical infrastructure in Lithuania and other Baltic states, although no specific locations or timing had been identified.
He said the attacks could take various forms, including sabotage or drone strikes.
Rinkevics warned that the Baltic region must be prepared for provocative actions by Russia as it seeks to "test" NATO's mutual defense clause during its war in Ukraine.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as Poland, are all members of the European Union (EU) and NATO.
"Even without a total Ukrainian victory, Russia may indirectly test Article 5 and response mechanisms at the alliance and European Union levels," Rinkevics said.
The warnings are the latest in a series of alerts from leaders along NATO's eastern flank, who have suggested that Russia may try to test the alliance as the war in Ukraine continues more than four years after Moscow's full-scale invasion.
In late June, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said "various types of escalation can be expected in the coming weeks and months," calling the situation "very unstable."
Baltic and Polish officials have already linked Russia to several incidents, including arson, cyberattacks and diversions on railway lines.
Nauseda said Lithuania had strengthened protection of its transport and energy infrastructure in response to the threats.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the claims, calling them a new batch of "horror stories."
"This is precisely a fresh batch of such horror stories in order to continue brainwashing and prepare the population for further militarization," Peskov told reporters in Moscow.
He said Western governments were seeking to create an image of an enemy in Russia to justify expanding NATO military infrastructure in the Baltic states.
"To do this, they need to create an image of an enemy in some other country, in this case, ours, and, under this guise, as they say, continue to pull NATO's military infrastructure in all its manifestations into the Baltic countries," Peskov said.
Peskov also said the Kremlin continued to receive signals through existing communication channels that the United States remained willing to help mediate a settlement in Ukraine after addressing the conflict involving Iran.
"Judging by our ongoing channels of communication ... we are constantly receiving signals that the Americans are still prepared, once their problems are more resolved, to continue to provide their services as mediators in terms of a Ukrainian settlement," he said.
He said Washington was currently preoccupied with developments in the Middle East.
"To our mutual regret, the situation in the Persian Gulf region is far from stable and, on the contrary, has once again entered a phase of degradation, which cannot but cause such global concern," Peskov said.
"Therefore, the Americans have no time for a Ukrainian settlement right now," he added.
Peskov also said Russia was closely monitoring U.S. statements on possible sanctions and denied that Moscow had sent any messages to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy through Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who visited Kyiv earlier Wednesday.
Located along the Baltic Sea and bordering Russia and its close ally Belarus, Lithuania has been a key supporter of Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
Lithuania is NATO's highest security spender in relative terms, allocating 5.33% of its gross domestic product to defense.
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